Bath spray



Aug. 29, 1950 c. 1'. MANVILLE ETAL BATH SPRAY Filed Jan. 11, 1945Patented Aug. 29, 1950 BATH SPRAY Charles T. Mats... Woodbury, and Pauls. Madsen, Bethany, Conn., assignors to The Seamless 7 Rubber Company,New Haven, Conn, a cor-' r re vnp C n e ti Application January 11, 1945,Serial No. 572,300

This invention relates to-bathsprays of the type in which the spray headis connected with a water faucet by a flexible tube, thespray'head orrose being manipulated by hand to direct the issuing. spray of water.

One of the objects of our invention is to make manipulation much easierand more convenient than has been possible heretofore. I

..Another object is to provide .aspray device in which the spray headcan Ice-controlled by hand very conveniently and effectively.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing: v

Fig. 1 is a bottom view of a .bath spray embodying the invention; I

Fig. 2 is an elevation, showingcertain parts disclosed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 33 of Fi 1; a

Fig. 4 is a face view of the spray head, with the perforated metal plateremoved; and

1 Fig. 5 is an exploded sectional view of'the head, thesection beingtaken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

indicated generally at I 0, and a flexible-rubber tube .ll attached tothehead. A coupling de vice I 2 of any suitable kind maybe-provided forsecuring the rubber tube to the water faucet. The present invention'isconcerned, among otherthings,v with the structure of the head l0, and

the means whereby it can be manipulated by hand to direct the spray ofwater. 'I his is important in taking a shower bath, for example,

where it is desirable to have the spray head under convenient control inthe hand of the batherwhen applying the spray to the persons back and,other partsv of the body. Whilethestructure of the spray-head used iscapable of variaone side, that is to say, in the. peripheralwall of thehead. It is here that the rubber tube.

such as ll has communicationv with theinterior of the head, and inconnection with the struc- 5 Claims. (01. 299-441) The improved bathspray has a spray headture adjacent the connection of the rubber tube.to the head, an interior stiffening member is;

used for the purpose of providing in effect a laterally. extendinghandle portionwhich greatly facilitates the manipulation of the sprayhead., The spray head l0 shown in the drawing is a shallow round headhaving a cup-like body 13 of flexible rubber provided with a peripheralwall l4 in which is set a perforated metal plate .15. At one side of thehead the rubber wall is formed. to provide an inletborein an integrallateral:

boss 16. The rubber tube II: is connected to this. boss through aninterior stiiiening member .IL

which may be conveniently made of hard rub-;. her. The stiffening memberis in the form of a tube having a bore 18, and a considerable portion ofthis tubular member is enclosed and held. inf: tube H, while. a portion.of tubular member I! projecting out of tube vll is used in making.-

a connection 'of the..tubular conduit structure;

to the spray head.

a cylindrical portion 22, and behind 22 a rigid collarportion 23. Bythis construction there is provided a means for stiffening rubbentube Hthrough a: portion of its length, as well as an assembly inawhichthestiffening member is .dei-.. tachably held to and in the spray headon'the. one hand and the communicating tube on :the

other hand. The wall of the tube ll engages over collar portion. 23, andhas its extremity dis-. posedagainst one face. of the member 2| in themanner shown, and the other face of' member. 2! is engagedby theendfiface 24 of boss l6, and. thewall. of the boss around its bore 25 isexpanded; overthe collar portion Hi. It is understood that; thestiffening member forms a connection be-". tween the. spray head and theflexible tube which V ordinarily is .not disassembled for a consider-L.The stiffening tube has, in locations adjacent its ends, portions forinser tion intoandconnection with the head and the tube, respectively,.with. the spacing member 1|;- intervening, and. a considerable portionofv the abl length of time.

stiffening tubebeing within and against the flex-.

ible tube to aid in providing a handlaportion..

Preferably the stiffening tube will have a slight bend. therein so'thatthe. flexible. tube will extend. from the. general :plane ofthespray head at :a:

slight angle, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3.

The cup-shaped body member I3 of the spray head is preferably providedwith a side wall which is substantially thicker than the top wall, as.

cup, the groove 29 having a"portion-"e kterrding' laterally into theside wall of the pupa-mi acom municating groove portion to receive theportion 28 of the metal plate. As the side wall-lof' the cup is elastic,it can be deformed in order to re ceive the perforated plate having theinwardly directed edge flange. The rubber of the side wall hefds the Tplate firm'ly for the reason that portions ofthe mbber sidewall preventaxial dislocation "of "the plate "and "also lateral dislocation thereof'relatively to the 'rubberpup. After the -spray plate has beeninsta'lled, its fiange'i28 holdsthamout'h of the rnbber :cu-p againstdistoitionfrom its normalro'und rshape.

- iIt is" prefer-red atoi provide the metal plate iwith fineperforations throughout: the portion' within the rubber rim.:Modifieation may be 'ma'de' in this zrespect, howeVerfiif desi'red.Nevertheless,

inasmuch-as the=wat'er entering the "spray head c'omes in'rby waypfbore' 25 in boss lt,iso as to 'tend to' create a-stream' more' or lessparallel to the spray'plate t5, it is *desirable' toprovide'meanscontrollingthe allow" of=water inthe chamber of the head: so that thewater will be eiecte'd from' the' .diiferent: portions' of" the sprayingsurface in a' un'iform marrner. For this purposewe provide theichai-nber interiorly with stream'econtrolling means whereby the body ofwater "within the' chamber is-caused to'ipass through the perforatedplate in I -:a more '-uniform 1 manner than 1 would otherwisebe thecase. "Were this means not used thetendency' would be for the stream IOfwater entering the head to be 'ej ected 'froin' the head ingreater-"part at'the far side of thehead; "Accordingto thepres'entinvention, however; 'we provide means whereby" a certain amount er water"in the chamber, 'before being-ejected, is'carried back in the generaldirection of theinletyin order that the formation of -a uniform s'pray'c'an be brought about;

the form-shown, the stream -controlling means referred-to includesflexible rubber walls that are advantageously integral with the structure of the rubbercup, 'saidwalls being-:threein;

number andof r a character :and arrangement very effective-in"produ"cing the resul-ts above mentioned. 'In 'thi's particular formthere are three walls-3'8, =3l and 32 formed integral" with the-3 topviportion of the-dnverted' rubber cup; the

' walls'=30 .and -3 I being disposed at opposite sides,

respectively; ofthe inlet bore 2 5;:"and 1ea'ding to the left :(Fig.' 4)toward the opposite sideo'f the "The intermediate wall 32 serves todivide the stream in a lengthwise direction so that its two parts arediverted toward opposite sides of the rchamber andidefiected by thechamber walls so as t0bedirected back toward the inlet. The

*water streamat each side of the wall 32 impinges-against t'he'curvedwall of the chamber andis-.g-iven aswirling movement 50 that a concup;and the wall 32 being disposed between-the.

walls 30 and. Si jandfleadingfrOm the'left-hand side of the cup Fig-+4):toward the right hand side. These walls are approximately normal :tothe cup top; Ebut they are obliquely disposed withirespe'ct' an :upwarddirection 'toapoint indicated at 313, f

siderable amount of the water is thrown back to the-'region adjacent theinlet, thereby causing the spray to be ejectedii'rom th different partsof: the perforated elementlasubstantially lilll'fiform manner,

It will --'be -noted' that'iithe :elastic top of :the: cup sha-pedehamber is 1 preferably: fcrmedacon a shallow curve such as that:lillustratedwin'the drawing, the aspray :Phead -itself Ibeingrrelativeiy shallow. 'lhe water deflecting "walls, '1 each "ZOfwhich is joined to the tinnerssur'r ace of thelsllght lydis-hed cup topandwtoavside wall, are provided vvith'-. fr'ee or exposed edge portionspreferably located at anea-ngleto the E general :plane of the head, asshown.

v in the operation-oh the am-proved bath spray the direction of thewatersprayean be readily controlled by grasping therelativelyrig-idacontrolling member; proj ectin'g from the side '1 of the head towhich the flexible tube-isconnectemthe flexible tube-itself beingstiffened through ash-bstantial part of its length. The direction'ofxlt-he" spray. cantbe"controliecirby-graspingthe manipulatingextension at any of a number of points;

near-the head. The flexible tubemay -be stiffened throughout-a:lengtmofisay: four inches, but -this is mentioned only by -wayofwexa'mpl'e. The

manipuiating ..member can "be very "readily grasped and wherei'orwexample, the personzis the' entra'l part of the water chamber.

whileoniy -a single embodiment of the inven-- tion' isrshow-n i-t will--be'understood that the invention-Leanbe -embodied in various iorms'an'dthat? modifications and changes may be made wi-thont departure from theprinciple of the ii'lvr'anti'on or the scope? or the claims.

"What'we claim'isf r 1 15A bath spray device comprising an invertedcup-shaped body member and a spray plate whieh form a"water chambeifthbody member birigshallow and having-a Side-wall and a slightly' dishedinner surfaceafthe' top,-the' water chamber havingan' inlet within thesidewall of 7 the body member. Said inlet being formed asa: conduit"leading througha' thickened' portion er the 'side wall forming anextension on the g body member, and deflecting means formedas a part 3of the body member tending to "increase the uniformity of ejectiod'efwater from" the spray plate; saidiast' named means" including walls in}tegrally joined to the top wall and side wall of the cup and disposedgenerally parallel to the incoming stream of water, two of which confinethe entering stream at its sides and another which divides the streamlengthwise.

2. A bath spray device comprising an inverted cup-shaped body member anda spray plate which form a water chamber, the body member being shallowand having a side wall and a slightly dished inner surface at the top,the water chamber having an inlet within the side wall the body member,said inlet being formed as a conduit leading through a thickened portion01' the side wall forming an extension on the body member, anddeflecting means formed as a part of the body member tending to increasethe uniform'ity of ejection of water from the spray plate, saidlast-named means including walls integrally joined to the top wall andside wall of the cup and disposed generally parallel to the incomingstream of water, two of which confine the entering stream at its sidesand another which divides the stream lengthwise, the last-mentioned wallbeing joined to the side wall of the cup at a point opposite the inletand extending toward, but not to, the inlet, and the other two wallsbeing joined to the side wall adjacent the respective sides of the inletand extending longitudinally past the inner end of said further wall.

3. A bath spray device comprising an inverted cup-shaped body member ofelastic material and a spray plate with which said body member forms awater chamber, said member having an inlet through its cylindrical sidewall, the body member being relatively shallow and having a slightlydished top wall, the inlet to the water chamber being in a thickenedportion of the side wall forming a lateral and outward extension on thebody member, th spray plate having a flanged marginal portion set in theflexible side wall of the body member adjacent the mouth of the cup andpreventing deformation of the mouth portion, and means includingsubstantially straight walls joined to the top wall and side wall of thecup and extending substantially longitudinally of the entering waterstream adjacent the top wall of the cup for inhibiting a localizedejection of water from the spray plate, two of which confine the streamas it enters and moves through a portion of the chamber diameter, andanother extending from the portion of the side wall opposite the inletand acting to divide the stream into two parts.

4. A bath spray device comprising an inverted cup-shaped body member ofelastic material and having a cylindrical side wall and a spray platewith which said body member forms a water chamber, said member having aninlet through its side wall, the body member being relatively shallowand having a slightly dished top wall, and means for inhibiting alocalized ejection of water from the spray plate including a pair ofwalls integral with the top wall which confine the stream as it entersand moves through a portion of the chamber diameter and also includinga. third wall integral with the top wall extending from the portion ofthe side wall opposite the inlet to a point between the said two walls,the said pair of walls and the third wall having slanting lower edgesdirected inwardly and upwardly with reference to the cup side wall.

5. A bath spray device comprising an inverted cup-shaped body member ofdeformable flexible rubber which is shallow and has a slightly dishedupper wall and a relatively thick side wall presenting a mouth, saidside wall adjacent the mouth having an L-shaped groove, a spray platehaving a flanged edge set in said groove and holding the mouth portionof the cup against deformation, said spray plate being providedsubstantially throughout its area with small perforations, the cup bodyhaving an inlet to the water chamber formed within a thickened portionof the side wall which provides a lateral outward extension on the bodymember, interior walls integral with the upper wall of the body memberinhibiting localized ejection of water from the spray plate, and anipple extending into said lateral extension of the side wall and havingsecured thereto a flexible supply tube, said nipple lying substantiallyin a median plane of the body member and being of appreciable length,and said lateral extension lying substantially in said median plane ofthe body member and together with said nipple providing a relativelystifi manipulating handle for the body member.

CHARLES T. MANVILLE. PAUL S. MADSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 139,632 Trapp June 3, 1873567,902 Cooper Sept. 22, 1896 752,803 Ross Feb. 23, 1904 815,990 WardMar. 27, 1906 1,047,729 Beardsley Dec. 17, 1912 1,555,393 Von HermannSept. 29, 1925 1,895,890 Meng Jan. 31, 1933 1,962,793 Vogel June 12,1934 1,965,344 Josinsky July 3, 1934 2,003,052 Lord May 28, 19352,100,165 Holmberg Nov. 23, 1937 2,345,672 Howse et al Apr. 4, 19442,354,019 Holden July'18, 1944 2,362,433 Ferguson et a1. Nov. 7, 1944.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 248,636 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1926267,754 Germany Nov. 27, 1913 401,506 Germany Sept. 4, 1924

